Picula: Kentera played an important role, it is difficult to judge why he was dismissed

Savo Kentera, former director of ANB, played an important role in exposing the network of Russian spies in Montenegro, which is of great importance in the geopolitically very complex situation of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the formation of a joint policy of the EU and its candidates towards Russia. This was recognized by the representatives of the EU in Montenegro, as well as other international actors – says in an interview with Pobjeda, the reporter of the European Parliament for Montenegro, Tonino Picula. He points out that the current composition of the Assembly cannot make the decisions necessary to break the deadlock in negotiations with the EU.

Montenegrin prime minister in technical mandate, Dritan Abazović, dismissed ANB director Sava Kentera after the successful arrest of Russian spies in Montenegro, which was praised by our international partners. How do you comment on that decision?

Based on all the information available so far, it is difficult to judge the real reasons for that decision. The fact is that Kentera played an important role in exposing the network of Russian spies in Montenegro, which is of great importance in the geopolitically extremely complex situation of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the formation of a joint policy of the EU and its candidates towards Russia. This was recognized by the representatives of the EU in Montenegro, as well as other international actors.

The prime minister explained that he was not familiar with the cigarette smuggling operation, for which there are suspicions that a high official of his party was involved. No European service in this situation would inform the prime minister, your comment?

Indeed, it would be contrary to the good practice of independent agencies and government bodies that need to worry about security and investigate potential illegal activities to expand the circle of information about the action if there is an assessment that this could potentially jeopardise the investigation. In the broader context of the division of power, it could be interpreted as a violation of that division of power, and it has nothing to do with the specific case in Montenegro, but with the principle itself.

He replaced Kentera with his staff and is making every effort to bring the entire state apparatus under his control. In addition, Abazović’s government had by far the worst performance in European integration. Is the worst report of the European Commission waiting for us?

For some time now, I have been emphasizing the need to resolve the situation with the blockage of institutions in Montenegro by holding free early parliamentary elections. The EU reports of the last few years talk about the need to depoliticize the judiciary. Also, it is perfectly clear that the current composition of the Assembly cannot make the decisions necessary to break the deadlock in negotiations with the EU. As for the report before us, it will certainly contain many serious and clear assessments that will reflect this institutional stagnation./Pobjeda/